Environmental Justice Archives

After months of organizing and hours of contentious debate, Memphis residents watched city leaders reject a lengthy pause on AI data centers — something that state Rep. Justin Pearson, center, called a betrayal of their communities. Pearson, who represents one of the majority-Black areas where Musk has built a massive data center, has made opposition to the projects a centerpiece of his campaign for Congress.

Memphis’ Data Center Vote Has Black Residents Feeling Betrayed

by Willy Blackmore October 26, 2026October 26, 2026

Memphis’ battle over AI data centers produced a compromise that satisfied few. With an 18-month moratorium defeated, the city now has 135 days to study how future development could affect residents, energy demands and environmental protections.

Lowndes County residents have spent decades fighting for safe sanitation. Now officials have approved a billion-dollar tax break for an energy-hungry AI data center, raising questions about environmental justice and whose needs take priority. The data center would be built near the Robert Gardner farm, pictured above, which served as Campsite 3 during the march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. Cheryl Gardner Davis, who lived in that house as a child, was photographed there in 2024.

Environmental Justice

A Billion-Dollar Data-Center Tax Break Along the Civil Rights Trail

by Willy Blackmore October 23, 2026October 27, 2026

A proposed $14.5 billion data center raised alarms over energy consumption, pollution and environmental damage in Bessemer, Alabama. Voters responded by electing a new mayor who promises to revisit the project's contracts.

Environmental Justice

A Massive Data Center Helped Topple a Mayor. What’s Next?

by Willy Blackmore October 20, 2026October 20, 2026

Frustration boiled over into anger at a Memphis City Council meeting when representatives postponed a vote on whether to block Elon Musk from building new data centers in the city for at least a year. Audience and council members shouted at one another, councilmembers traded insults and police cleared the room — only to see fights break out in the lobby between opposing sides of the issue. The vote has been rescheduled for later this month.

Environmental Justice

Chaos Ensues After Memphis Delays Vote on Musk’s Data Centers

by Willy Blackmore October 15, 2026October 15, 2026

Environmental Justice

EVENT: Fighting Air Pollution in Black Communities, 9/2

by Shernay Williams August 26, 2026September 1, 2026

When the EPA canceled grants because of DEI concerns, it killed plans to address health and environmental hazards like abandoned, dilapidated houses in Dewey City, a historic Black neighborhood in Thomasville, Georgia. Many residents don’t have the funds to mitigate issues with mold, asbestos, or lead paint.

Environmental Justice

Public Health Improvements Stall Amid Trump’s DEI Crackdown

by Briah Lumpkins, KFF Health News August 3, 2026August 3, 2026

As data centers consume more electricity, critics warn that extending the life of aging coal plants like the Stanton Energy Center in Orlando shifts the health costs of AI onto communities already burdened by pollution.

Environmental Justice

Amid AI Boom, Coal Returns — With a Familiar Cost

by Willy Blackmore July 28, 2026July 28, 2026

The EPA says delaying tougher diesel standards will save truckers billions. But public health advocates say the greatest costs may be borne by Black communities living near freight corridors and busy highways.

Environmental Justice

EPA Rollback Could Bring Dirtier Air to Black Communities

by Willy Blackmore July 18, 2026July 18, 2026

Environmental Justice

Elon Musk Expands AI Plant Accused of Polluting Black Areas

by Willy Blackmore May 21, 2026May 21, 2026

The firing of former Executive Director Ben Jealous and the exits of several other Black leaders have ignited a broader debate over race, accountability and institutional culture inside the Sierra Club and its affiliated foundation.

Environmental Justice

Sierra Club Black Leadership Departures Raise Questions

by Dr. Angelo A. Williams May 20, 2026May 20, 2026

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